High oil Consumption, BMW M5

2001 BMW M5, covered 49000 miles. 1500 miles ago (3moths) had VANOS system replaced either side of engine. Oil change was complete at this time, including changing oil seals. Turned off engine a few days ago and the Check system displayed check engine oil level. Engine oil is low. No sign of any leaks, why would it consume so much oil in 1500 miles. Car is used on weekends only. Any ideas why oil consumption is very high, with no leaks?

i changed the oil in my 2011 toyota highlander 2.4 liter engine onll 30000 miles now its leaking -had not leaked before used royal purple 5-20 oili changed the oil in my 2011 toyota highlander 2.4 liter engine onll 30000 miles now its leaking -had not leaked before used royal purple 5-20 oil

AnonymousMar 26, 2014

It's a 2001 540i M sport with the larger water cooled alternator.It's a 2001 540i M sport with the larger water cooled alternator.

2 Answers

Look for Castrol TWS 10W60 Motor Oil. This car should not burn so much oil, you need to use a different kind. It is recommended by BMW as well. I also heard the VANOS isnt an issue anymore, can be fixed with a different MAFF. Good luck!

Anonymous

Re: High oil Consumption, BMW M5

HI THERE.BMW M5's CAN USE 1 LITRE OF OIL FOR EVERY 621.4 MILES OF HARD DRIVING. THE CORRECT WAY TO CHECK THE OIL LEVEL IS TO GET THE OIL TO NORMAL OPERATING TEMPERATURE.SWITCH THE ENGINE OFF FOR 1 MINUTE AND THEN CHECK THE OIL LEVEL. THE LEVEL ON THE DIPSTICK SHOULG BE BETWEEN THE MIN AND MAX MARKS. ONLY TOP UP OIL WHEN IT REACHES THE MIN MARK ON THE DIPSTICK. BE SURE TO USE THE CORRECT OIL- CHECK YOUR OWNERS HANDBOOK FOR SPECS. ALSO ALL THE INFO THAT I AM GIVING YOU IS IN THE OWNERS HANBOOK AS WELL.I USE AN OIL CALLED "ROYAL PURPLE" IN A 10W40 VISCOSITY.

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Related Questions:

A 728i? Where do you live? That car has never been available in the US.
In any event, a 2.8 liter BMW engine has a cam chain. If the oil is changed regularly, that chain and the guides should last at least a quarter million miles. The VANOS may not last that long, but cam chains are not a high failure item.

It could well be a PVC valve. The PVC plumbing on e46s is not one of BMW's best designs, and it needs to be cleaned out every 100k miles if not sooner.
Not likely a rear main. I have never seen a failed rear main seal on a 6 Cyl BMW.

Are you sure it is not power steering fluid? I would be surprised if a 2003 were not leaking a little power steering fluid by now if the hoses have not already been replaced.
Another common oil leak is the hose that feeds oil to the VANOS.
If the leak is toward the rear of the engine, I would look for a valve cover gasket leak.
The service engine soon light is almost certainly unrelated to the oil leak.

oil sep not causing this issue,this would be caused by the crankcase valve both on 6 and 8 cyl,if you have a 6 the part is locaed below the intake behind the throttle,you must also remove the dip stick and clean out the drain on the stick,if you have a 8 cyl than you must rere the intake and repl the rear cover and oil drain, also this issue is more commonly found when temps are very cold.either way this should be replace to prevent furhter damages to the enigine.this should solve the oil consumption issue as long as there are no other leaks present

There is a lot wrong with "low oil" and low oil is not normal in a low mileage healthy engine.

The dealer is fobbing you off in the hope you will go away.

If the oil is being changed at least every 5000 miles or so there should be minimum oil depletion between changes with only very minor top up needed. Some oil consumption is normal but it should be minimal.

If the oil level is dropping to a very low level in about 4000 - 5000 miles of normal motoring you have a significant problem. The oil is either leaking out or the engine is burning excessive oil or a combination. If there is no leak through faulty seals or by other means such as oil escaping into the cooling passages of the engine, then there is excessive burning.

These engines are known for excessive oil consumption because the problem is a common one in the 06, 05, 04 and previous year builds back to about 98/99. The dealers know all about this problem - as does BMW - and they will try to fob you off until the car is out of warranty because the fix is expensive.

From what you say the problem has not been fixed on your car. Document the oil loss and insist on your warranty rights because your engine is using excessive oil and this is NOT normal in a properly functioning motor with as few miles as yours has. Make it clear to the dealer that you are well aware that excessive oil consumption is a common problem in many of the 325 petrol engines and you want it fixed under warranty.

Then sell the car as these vehicles will cost you quite a bit in repairs once out of warranty and once you clock up around 60000 miles or more. If you have an auto you can expect major problems at about 65000 miles (later if you are lucky) and replacement of the transmission will be necessary. Once you notice any significant problem with the auto transmission it is on it's way out.

hi, this consumption seems high, i would take it to a dealer and ask them to check the oil sensor.......
P.S. is there a lot of smoke coming from the exhaust, if so, it may be burning a little oil, ask dealer to check it

THE BULLETIN PERTAINS TO AN OIL CONSUMPTION PROBLEM WITH THE ENGINE. IT INVOLVES THE LEFT HAND VALVE COVER AND THE LIFTERS. THE LIFTERS ARE THE MAIN CONCERN, THEY PUMP TOO MUCH OIL AND IT GETS PUMPED INTO THE VENT HOLES IN THE PCV AREA OF THE VALVE COVER ALLOWING IT TO BE SUCKED UP INTO THE INTAKE MANIFOLD AND BURNED.

U can have a cylinder leak-down test run for around $100 to see if rings are ok but I am sure it will just indicate you need to overhauled the engine, that much oil consumption is only caused by worn rings/cylinder walls or a blocked or partially blocked crankcase ventilation system (PCV).

The lifters can be cleaned by getting the engine nice and hot and then adding an engine flush to the oil and leaving the engine running at a high tickover for about 15 to 20 minutes, and then giving the car an oil and filter change.